Alone In The City
by TipsyMcStagger
Summary: Harley finds herself needing emotional support in Arkham City and however unlikely it may be, The Riddler is the one whose shoulder she cries on. Sequel to "Hacking: 101". Takes place during Arkham City. I'd like some reviews and feedback please.
1. Epiphany

"Harley! Get back here!" Joker bellowed.

Harley immediately dropped her baseball bat right next to the half-dead henchman that she was beating up and scurried over to Joker's chair.

"Comin' puddin!" She squeaked.

She took a good look at her Clown Prince Of Crime, his skin crackled and falling off, most of his bright green hair eaten away by disease.

"What's wrong?" She asked with great concern as she gripped his hand. He jerked it away from her grip while giving her a look of fury.

"Get your hand off me and get me some pills you... _kof kof kof..."_ He ordered before erupting into a series of violent coughs.

It was very warm in the Steel Mill despite the freezing weather outside. Yet, Joker's hand was cold to the touch, almost as if he were already dead. She scrambled through the cluttered desk beside his chair, flipping through the mountains of playing cards and knives that buried his bottle of pills.

"Come on... Come on..." She frantically mumbled as Joker's coughs grew more painful and frequent.

She opened the drawer and found several bottles of pills lying there.

"Gotcha!"

She opened it and poured a handful of pills out before feeding them to Joker.

"Come on, Puddin..." She said as she held a bottle of water next to Joker's mouth.

He slurped the water down before coughing once again, choking down pills have become an agonizing part of his daily routine.

"Feel better?" She asked sweetly while patting him on the back.

Joker looked at her with contempt before twisting his face into a mocking smile.

"Yesss... Harley! Choking down the same damn pills I choke down every other day has cured me of my sickness! I feel as fit as a horse!" He exclaimed with his head held up high and his finger pointing to the sky.

Harley leapt up with excitement and put her hand together.

"Really?!" She gasped.

"NO! Not really!"

He brought his hand down and slapped her across the face with all his strength, which wasn't very much.

"After all these years and you still don't get the joke!" He yelled at her as she began to back away.

"I'm sorry... It was my fault..." She whimpered as her hand rubbed the mark that he left on her cheek.

"Sorry ain't gonna cut it! Now go to the gates and make yourself useful!" He pointed at the door.

"Right. Ok." She stood up straight.

"What can I do to make myself useful?"

"Your old teacher's coming to town..." He began.

"Oh, you mean Dr. Roberts from the University? Why's he coming to Arkham City? Did he plagiarize Strange's papers or somethin'?"

"No, you idiot!" He slapped her again.

"I'm talking about your computer science teacher."

"Oh, you mean Mr. Whalen from High School? Are they finally putting him in here for feeling me up that time during detention?"

Joker raised his hand for a third slap but he changed his mind, weak from the previous two slaps.

"Oh for the love of... Eddie! I'm talking about Eddie!"

Harley gasped, shocked and happy.

"Wha... You mean...?"

"Yeah, yeah. Ol' Strange had him locked up a few days ago, caught him hacking into his computer or something."

"Yayyy! Eddie's coming to town!" She cried as she began jumping for joy.

"Wait, what does he have to do with..."

"I need his help. As much as I hate to admit it, he knows how to get what I want. So what I want you to do, is to get over there and make him come to the steel mill!" He pushed her aside.

"Ok... But whaddya' want me to do with him?" She asked while pointing to the dying Henchman lying in the back of the room.

"Oh I don't know... Throw him into the Harbor or something, just don't screw it up! Now go!"

She stood up straight once again and gave a salute.

"Gotcha', Mistah J! I won't let ya' down!" She exclaimed before zipping over to the Henchman's side and grabbing him from behind by his arms. Slowly, she began dragging him outside. She received many horrified looks on the way.

"Jesus Christ! What happened to Frank?!" A guard screamed.

"What did you do to him? And why's his brains leaking out of his head?!" Another one shrieked while backing away so hard that he fell onto the ground.

She went further away from the idiots and reached the edge, leaving her all alone with her thoughts... and Frank.

She flipped the dying man over and knelt down, turning her uncertain gaze to the smoky sky of Arkham City.

"You know, Frankie... There's just some times where I don't know if I should stick with Mistah' J or not. Now, don't get me wrong, he's the love of my life and all, but since he's about 4 or 5 weeks from croaking it, maybe I should look for a new puddin'."

All Frank managed in response to that was a horrible strangled noise.

"Oh, what am I thinking?! I can't say something like that about him!" She slapped herself on the knee and stood up.

"I've known him for so long and he loves me so muc..." She paused and rubbed the mark on her cheek once more.

"Ok, fine. Maybe he doesn't love me so much after all. But still... I could never quit him." She sighed as she knelt down again.

"Frankie, you don't know this about me but before I met Mistah' J, I was always flip flopping about everything, ya' know? Become a doctor, don't become a doctor. Go work at Arkham, don't work at Arkham. I never had a straight path or anything, I just sort of... existed. When I met him, however, I was alive. He put me back on the track like a red hot rod, always moving forward with no doubts. You know what I mean?" She asked as she looked down on the unresponsive Frank.

"What I'm trying to say is, with Mistah' J, all that indecisiveness, all that fear, all that nothingness that controlled my life... it was gone. I mean, sure, he's the one controlling my life now but at least I feel like I serve a purpose! At least I feel..."

She was close to tears as she gazed at the old Asylum, broken down and far away from where she was standing. She crumpled into a heap onto the ground, and managed to let out a defeated sigh.

"To tell you the truth, I don't think he's going to last very long. Unless one of them bozos at Gotham General makes a scientific breakthrough, Mistah' J'll be dead before... before..."

She burst into tears as the thought of a dead Joker seeped into her mind.

"Oh, what the hell am I going to do? Even if he's gone, he'll still be a part of my life, a part of me. He'll always be the one to push me around or to start me up, always."

It was at this moment, Frank began to gurgle blood.

"The only other guy who ever made me feel this way is..."

Suddenly, Arkham City's broadcast system sounded off and Hugo Strange's voice was heard throughout the City.

"New Prisoners are now arriving at the Transfer area, all current inmates must clear from the area under the risk of getting shot."

Harley leapt up, the depressed and melancholic look from her face wiped away.

"Eddie! Of course! Why didn't I think of that before? He's smart, cute and we've had a thing before! I've gotta see him. Now!"

She began running towards her men but spun around at once. She moved her head right next to Frank's ear.

"Thanks a bunch, Frankie! I'm real glad we had this talk!" She said loudly and cheerfully.

She placed her foot on Frank's arm.

"Just don't tell anyone about this ok? It'll be our little secret!" She hushed with her finger placed on her lips. She winked at him before using her leg to roll him off the edge. A very loud and satisfying splash was heard, along with some muffled gurgling and screaming.

She turned around and started skipping. Then, she started jogging. And then, she ran. She ran and ran until she reached her men.

All the way, she was whispering the same sentence perkily.

"I'm gonna see Eddie again! I'm gonna see Eddie again! I'm gonna see Eddie again! I'm gonna..."


	2. Reflections

"So what you're saying that Hugo Strange has sent a team of TYGER guards to arrest me?" Riddler asked over the phone.

"Uh... Yeah." His informant replied.

"And they're coming right this moment?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Uhh... Yes, that's right."

"No, you're supposed to say: Yes, Mr. Nigma. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Yes, what?"

"Yes, I understand."

That tears it.

"No, you ignorant buffoon! You're supposed to address me as Mr. Nigma, sir! How many times do I have to tell you that in order to get it through your thick..."

 _Knock! Knock! Knock!_

A loud banging erupted from the protected entrance into his hideout.

"Ah, I see you've made good on your promise, Hugo." Riddler mused as he stood up.

"Wait, Boss? What are you..."

"There's no need to worry, Mr. Keitel. Contact the others and make sure my hideout and computers are prepped and ready."

"Yes, sir."

"Take your positions on top of The Ace Chemicals Building with Mr. Roth. Let's make sure I'll survive my little welcoming ceremony at the City gates."

"Will do, sir."

Riddler cut his communications and lifted up his microphone.

"Computer, it is your master!"

"Hello, The Riddler, you sound very smart today."

"Yes, thank you computer. But sadly, the time has come for us to part ways." Riddler sighed, a tear forming in his eye.

"What. But The Riddler, you are the greatest being on the planet, you give my life meaning." The Computer cried flatly.

"Well, that goes without saying. I still remember that day when I assembled you from computers stolen from Blackgate mall and when I programmed a basic religion into you to worship me as your lord and savior..."

Another series of loud knocks sounded from the door.

"Apologies, but I'm in a rather exigent situation at the moment. We can have an emotional orgy later when I'm safe and sound."

Something that sounded like a battering ram began thumping on his door.

"Computer! Activate Protocol Clean Slate! Now!"

The computer screens began to slowly go blank, all of their data deleted.

Riddler flashed another one of his smug smirks before his door was completely broken down. 6 masked TYGER guards swarmed into his hideout.

"Alright, Nigma! Hands up!" Cash yelled.

Riddler's smirk remained etched on his face as he put his hands behind his head.

"Ah, Officer Cash! How nice it is to see you and your atavistic self again! Please, take a seat! Your neck must be tired from carrying that thick skull of yours!"

Cash paused for a few moments before smirking underneath his mask.

"You know, Nigma, after all that time you spent at the Asylum, you'd think you'd learn not to resist arrest..." He said as he pulled out a taser from his holster.

"Wait, you can't...!"

He pulled the trigger.

" **AAABLBLBLAAABLABLAAAGH!"** Riddler exclaimed in agony as about 200 volts of electricity coursed through his body.

After about 5 seconds, he fell down on the ground, face first, with a pronounced thud.

Cash and two other guards approached Riddler's seemingly lifeless body before yet another poorly timed snarky comment was made.

"Please, officers, you don't have to assault me in order to detain me! This is no jungle! We're not in a lawless hellhole! You're not working for The Los Angeles Police Department!" Riddler sarcastically whined, that smirk still plastered on his face.

Cash widened his eyes in mock surprise and gasped overdramatically to the other guards as he pointed to the struggling Riddler.

"Guys, look! He's got a gun!"

"Quick get your sticks!" The other guard said.

Riddler's smirk was wiped clean off his face after that. Clean slate indeed.

"Oh dear lord have mercy..."

The Van speeded across Arkham City, narrowly avoiding henchmen left and right.

"Come on! Come on! Can't this heap go any faster?!" Harley barked at the driver. She was sitting in the backseat so she had to stand up in order for her mouth to be next to his ear.

The driver winced in pain from the yell.

"Sorry, boss. It's just that this is an old van, that's all."

"Well, make it go faster! We can't miss it!"

She folded her arms and sat back down.

Harley looked to her left and saw that the henchman next to her was giving her some strange looks. She knew him and his name. Donnie Whalen, from The Burnley District. He's been giving her that same look since she gassed Boles back at The Asylum.

The look was driving her crazy. Well, crazier than usual.

"Donnie, sweetie?" She asked in her typical cheerful tone.

Donnie knew right away that something was wrong.

"Umm... Yeah?" He asked nervously.

Harley reached into her pocket and took out a switchblade knife and edged it precariously close to Donnie's throat before activating it.

Donnie squirmed a bit as the blade cut slightly into his skin.

"As your boss, I pride myself on being open to suggestions and questions of any kind!" She brightly exclaimed.

"Uhh... Yeah?"

Harley started to look annoyed.

"Uhh! Uhh! Uhh!" She imitated loudly as she carelessly flicked the knife around.

"Is that all you morons have to say? Uhh? I mean, who even listens to you bozos talk anyways?!"

Donnie and everyone else in the Van froze up for a few moments before she finally broke the silence.

"Anyway, what I wanted to say is that if you have any questions, go ahead and ask! Or else!"

The blade began to cut deeper into his skin.

He put up his hands and began spluttering.

"Ok! Ok!"

She removed the blade from his throat so that he could speak without getting hurt.

"Remember that time when you gassed that guard back in Arkham? You know, the patsy?"

She widened her eyes in surprise, her suspicions usually weren't confirmed.

"Yeah... What about him?"

Donnie began breathing more rapidly now, and the guys behind them began darting their eyes left and right.

"Well, before you gassed him, you said something about Riddler and how he shouldn't have messed with him."

She nodded and gestured for him to carry on.

"It's just that, I think it's kind of strange for you to do something like that for Riddler cuz... aren't you in love with Joker?"

Another very tension filled silence filled the van, with only the sound of the broken down motor providing conversation.

Doubt and uncertainty was written all over Harley's face, she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts before switching back to her perky self.

"Ohhh! Don't be silly, Donnie!" She teased while closing the switchblade. Donnie and the others breathed a huge sigh of relief when that happened.

"I mean, Eddie's cute and all, but he's just a friend! In fact, he's the best friend I've ever had that isn't Ivy! He's smart, he teaches me a lot of stuff, he's polite, he's very funny when he isn't being a jerk and above all he's a great kisser! But Mistah' J's the only one for me!"

The henchmen began looking at each other as if to confirm whether or not they just heard her correctly.

"Buuuuttt, then again... Eddie can be so adorably dorky sometimes! Whenever he goes off a tangent about computers and Aristotle, it's just too cute to imagine! I can't even tell you how many times I..."

She paused and looked around, realizing that she basically confessed her little affair with Riddler to her boyfriend's men. She quickly took out her switchblade again and pointed it threateningly at them.

"Not a peep of this to anybody! Especially not Mistah' J!"

They all nodded in stunned silence.

"Hey, boss. You ok?" One of the prisoners on the truck asked Riddler.

Riddler shook his head several times, attempting to shake off the pain that Cash and the other guards have caused him.

"Yes, I believe so. Though I also believe that primitive troglodyte who calls himself a security guard has given me a severe facial contusion."

"Aw man, that sucks. I got a facial contusion once, it hurt so bad I couldn't walk."

Riddler repressed a chuckle at that one.

"Why, Mr. Morton, you have shed some new light on the subject of biology for me. I never realized apes used their faces to get from place to place."

"Wha'?"

"Nothing. Just talk as quietly as you can." He whispered while bowing his head down.

The thug quickly followed suit as Riddler's eyes darted left and right, studying the sleeping prisoners around them, all belonging to him.

He smirked to himself once again.

"Strange is a fool to think that I would come quietly so easily without having a contingency plan, all those trips abroad must have turned his mind to mush."

Getting Strange to unwittingly arrest his men was easy. All it took was a jumbled schedule and a few carefully placed words.

"I know what all those so-called supercriminals want to do to me as soon as arrive. They think they can use me?! Me?! The Riddler?! Their intellectual god and the world's greatest everything?! They will be proven wrong! Dead wrong when I..."

"Boss! We're supposed to be quiet remember?" The thug hushed.

"Yes... I apologize for that outburst."

"Besides, didn't Joker use you for that break out at The Asylum?"

You could literally see Riddler go red with rage.

"He did not use me! The only reason I agreed to teach that little tramp was because I had to get out of that hovel! And I did! So there's that!"

The thug looked confused.

"But... But I thought you liked Quinn!"

"Who says I didn't?" He snapped.

"Well, you just called a... a... what's that word again?"

"Tramp! I used the word Tramp you idiot!" He screamed.

Meanwhile, Cash and the others were playing Candy Crush.

"Aw shit man, I never got through that part!"

"Hey, should we take off our earphones and check on the prisoners?"

"Nah, what are they gonna do?"

"Outta my way!"

"The Penguin wants him! He needs a new security system!"

"Two Face needs security too! So outta my way!"

"You son of a bitch!"

Punches rained down on everyone and the wave of angry mobsters was just getting more and more chaotic.

"Come on out Eddie!" Harley playfully said to herself as she peered through her binoculars.

Eventually, gunshots sounded off and corpses began piling up. Around the corner, more and more of Joker and Two Face's men came swarming in.

"Woo-hoo! Prison riot!" Harley psychotically cheered while waving her bat around.

"Uh, Boss? I don't know if we can take 'em."

"Shut up!" Harley barked while hitting him in the chest.

"Get in there and fight! Eddie's worth every single drop of blood! Now go!"

Riddler could hear the sounds of screaming and crying approaching the van, that could only mean one thing:

"We're here." He declared with a smirk.

"Boss? There's something I gotta know."

"What is it, Mr. Morton? Haven't I lectured you enough on the differences between Bromine and Barium?" He said with a very cutting and patronizing tone.

The thug ignored this.

"How do you feel about Quinn? I mean, do you like her, hate her or what?"

Riddler was taken aback at this, but answered calmly, not wanting to betray his feelings for her.

"She has her positives and negatives, unlike some ignoramuses I have to work with."

That went over his head as well.

"She's careless, forgetful, can't focus for more than 30 seconds and an absolute ditz. But at times, she can be quite... charming." Riddler tried to find the right word to describe Harley Quinn in a flustered manner as a blush crept up his face.

The truck came to a sudden stop and the truck's doors opened.

"Get your asses out here!" Cash ordered.

The prisoners began to march with Riddler being the last in line. The great Wall Of Arkham towered over them as the gates opened and the twin titans stared down at them along with about two dozen other inmates.

"All according to plan." Riddler whispered to himself.

He scanned the area, other than his own men, most of the inmates there weren't loyal to anyone yet, which means more camouflage for the riot. The line grew longer and longer as the blast doors chewed them up.

Riddler's triumphant smirk grew more and more audacious as the final blast door was about to open.

And so it did.

"Look! It's him!"

"Grab the Riddler freak!"

And just like that, the gates of Arkham City turned into hell on Earth.

"I haven't this much fun in months!" Harley squealed as she brandished her bat while clubbing away at the henchmen.

"Get the boss!" One of Riddler's thugs yelled as the countless henchmen attacking him bounced back like basketballs.

"Once again, my brilliant plan has triumphed over all." He declared as he walked calmly away from the pandemonium.

Harley's head shot up as The Riddler casually strolled in, smirk on his face and his suit as tidy as ever.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed while dropping her bat.

She began jumping up and down.

"Eddie! Eddie! Hey Eddie! Over here!" She waved repeatedly.

Riddler looked up and saw Harley waving at him, he began to walk quickly now and continued to do so until he reached her.

"Evening, Miss Quinn." He greeted with a tip of his hat.

They both looked into each other's eyes and immediately felt a spark. A spark that they haven't felt since they last me.

They stood there for what seemed like hours as all hell broke loose behind the happy reunited couple.


	3. Crash

After a few moments of serene and comfortable silence of looking into each other's eyes, Riddler finally spoke up.

"Miss Quinn, I hate to cut this heartwarming reunion short, but what are you doing here?"

Harley suddenly snapped out of her dreamlike trance and blushed a bit, realizing that she had been staring at the Riddler for the past few moments.

"Dontcha' see? I'm here to rescue you, Eddie!" She said while giving him another one of her salutes.

Riddler chuckled at that.

"I certainly appreciate the gesture, Miss Quinn, but I don't think that will be necessary." He said while his thumb pointed towards the rabid and aimless pack of inmates piled up near the gates, seemingly oblivious to Riddler's presence.

Harley let out another bombastic laugh at the expense of the inmates. And after a few moments, Riddler joined in with a rather sardonic chuckle.

"Woah!" Harley exclaimed as a Molotov cocktail flew right over her head.

Riddler smirked and took her hand with a sigh.

"This isn't a safe place for us to be, Miss Quinn."

"Yeah, no kiddin'." She mumbled as she ducked to avoid the wrath of yet another Molotov.

"We should leave."

"It's alright! I have a getaway van right…"

She stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing her getaway van up in flames and her driver's head being used as a Christmas tree decoration.

"Damaged goods, Miss Quinn?" He snidely asked.

"Ya' got any better ideas, Mistah' Genius?" She replied with mock-annoyance.

"But of course I do! I am The Riddler! And he always has a back up plan!"

"Oh please, lead the way."

Riddler walked forward, away from all the blood and guts and towards a dark path leading to an alleyway.

"Last I heard, you and the clown were trying to avoid being put in here. What happened?"

Harley began to look awkward.

"Well… It's kind of a funny story!"

"Another one?" He snarked while rolling his eyes.

"You see, we were on this speedboat that was taking us out of the Asylum. You know, they were gonna keep us there until The City was finished?"

"Yes…?"

"Well, things were going ok until _he_ showed up."

"Ah, I see. The spanner in the works as always."

"I don't know what that means, but if you're trying to say that The Bat is a real pain in the ass, he is!"

Riddler suppressed a laugh as he nodded and gestured for her to go on.

"Anyways, we were supposed to get to the Diamond District or somethin' but because The Bat was on our tail, we had to take a shortcut and head for the old Steel Mill instead."

"So what you're saying is that you and the clown broke into Arkham City by mistake?" He said while stifling a giggle.

"If you're thinking of laughing, don't" She said sternly.

Riddler burst out laughing, which was followed Harley smacking him on the head and telling him not to make fun of Mistah' J.

They continued on their path until two shady looking thugs began walking towards them.

"Uhh… Eddie… Are you sure this leads to a safe space?"

Riddler rolled his eyes.

"I do not own a safe space in Arkham City, Miss Quinn! In this complex, I plan to reside in a technologically advanced and securely sound hideout! I don't need a safe space! I am most certainly not a Californian College student!"

They stayed the course for a few more moments silently before Harley spoke up.

"Eddie, I don't think you know this place so well! Ever since this place opened, The Bowery belongs to… EEP!"

Before she could finish her sentence, they were both grabbed from behind by two thugs, bearing none other than the Penguin insignia.

"Eddie! You moron! I knew this wasn't a safe path!"

Riddler struggled to turn his head in Harley's direction due to the immense amount of pressure the thug applied onto him.

"I am not a moron! Don't underestimate me, Miss Quinn!" Riddler yelled back at her.

Swiftly, Harley did a backflip and broke the thug's hand before unleashing her bat onto the other one's face.

"Miss Quinn, please! You're only making things harder for yourself!"

"Get off your ass and help me!" She screamed as she kicked a mook in the face before blowing his head off.

"It's all going according to plan! Now if you'd just sit back down, all will transpire…"

"Ah!"

She finally went down as one of the thugs hit her on the back of the head with a crowbar.

"Oww! That hurt!" She whined as her hand rubbed her head.

"Good. It's about time someone beat some sense into you."

"This wouldn't have happened if you'd just helped!"

"I already told you…"

Riddler was silenced by another blow to the head.

Harley glanced up and saw some kind of blob standing before them.

"Well, well, look wha' we have ere'…" The blob whispered.

The pair rolled their eyes upon hearing him.

"Don't you ever tire of repeating the same pieces of diabolical dialogue, Cobblepot?"

"Oh god, are you gonna try to cop a feel again?"

Anger dawned on his face as he smacked them both on the head with his umbrella.

"Don't you dare laugh at me! This is my City! You're in my territory now!"

"Yeah, yeah. Blah, blah, blah. If you had any real firepower, you'd have bombed the steel mill by now. And no, I don't see a blown up steel mill yet!"

Penguin grabbed her by the collar and pulled her close.

"You lil' bitch! You got away from me last time, but this time! Oh… This time ain't gonna be pleasant for you! You're gonna cry! And scream! And beg! And until you…"

"Ok, I've grown tired of this charade." Riddler sighed as he raised his hand.

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

In a blink of an eye, Penguin's thugs started falling down, lifeless, onto the ground. Their heads split open and bleeding profusely.

"Wha-"

 _Wham!_

Harley kicked him in the face, causing him to fall onto the ground.

"Wait! Please! I'm sorry!" Penguin cried while holding his bleeding nose and crawling away.

"Craven as always, Cobblepot." Riddler said with a smirk.

Harley grabbed her bat and began to swing.

"BATTER UP!"

For about 5 minutes, the alleyway was filled to the brim with blood, brains and the agonized screams of The Penguin.

"Stop. That's enough." Riddler said as he held Harley's bat in place.

"But whyyy? He's almost dead!" She begged, looking down at the bleeding and unconscious Penguin, who still had tears in his eyes.

"I'd much rather not disturb the balance of The City. And besides, who am I to deny the Joker the satisfaction of the kill?"

This seemed to pacify her and she brought her bat down.

"Hey, Eddie?"

He raised his eyebrows and looked up at her.

"Yes?"

"How'd you get those mooks to die?"

Riddler smirked and looked up to the Ace Chemicals Building, making eye contact with his two snipers. He put on his earpiece and began speaking into it.

"Excellent work, Mr. Keitel. Rest assured, you and Mr. Roth will be getting your bonuses very soon."

"Aw, thanks boss! Anythin' else you want us to do?"

"Yes, contact Mr. Hartmann and Mr. Keaton. Tell them to bring their automatic weapons and their car. They are to pick me up at my location at once."

"Yes sir!"

Riddler took off the earpiece and turned to face Harley.

"Let's just say I have about 100 aces in the hole."

Harley looked puzzled.

"You mean…?"

"Yes. I have over 100 men working for me in this City disguised as members of the other factions of the so called supercriminals squabbling over this place. They plant my trophies, provide me with protective detail and when the time is right, they set up my rooms for me."

"What rooms?"

Before she could receive an answer, a red car appeared before them, driven by what seemed to be an inmate in an orange jumpsuit and next to him, a Joker thug. They both got in.

"Boss! You ok?" The Joker thug asked.

"Hey, wait a minute! You're supposed to be workin' for Mistah' J!" Harley yelled while pointing at the thug.

"Oh god! Harley! I uh… I uh…"

After stuttering for quite some time, the thug simply opened the door and jumped out of the moving car.

"Miss Quinn, what _do_ you do to these poor souls that they prefer potential death over having to explain themselves to you?"

Harley grinned and pointed at her baseball bat, to which Riddler nodded in understanding.

Eventually, they reached the iceberg lounge.

"Here we are, boss."

"Excellent. Go to Room number 4 and make sure that it's ready. After that, check on Room 5 with Mr. Kramer. I'll inspect them myself in a few days."

"Will do, boss." The thug said as they exited. The car sped off towards the distance as the pair jumped down onto the area beneath the lounge.

"Where are we going?"

"To my hideout, Miss Quinn." Riddler replied as they stopped in front of a tall electric fence. He took out a remote control and pressed a button, and soon the electricity faded away. He took out a key and unlocked the fence."

"After you." He offered.

They walked inside as he locked the fence and pressed the button again as the electricity began to spark back to life. He opened the grey and blank the door which revealed a small room with the yellow industrial door used in the steel mill.

"Eddie, why are there clumps of dynamite on your door's hinges?"

"Why do you think?" He asked while disarming the bombs with the remote control. They entered and saw what had to be a massive downgrade from his previous hideout.

"It's not much and it can get cold at times, but it's discreet, secure and I have food supplies."

It took Riddler's mention of the cold to help Harley realize that she was wearing a sleeveless top in sub zero temperatures.

"It can, now that you mention it…" She muttered as she rubbed her arms.

Riddler stared at what Harley became. Her lips, a childish pout and her eyes, a warm concern. To the Riddler, she was the definition of the word cute.

"Here." He said as he offered her a large coat discarded on the ground.

"You have to keep yourself warm somehow."

She took it with a big smile and put it on.

"Thanks Eddie! You're sweet!" She said before giving him a grateful kiss on the cheek.

She skipped further into the lair as Riddler followed.

"Hey Eddie, what's with the weird metal path thingy?"

"That, Miss Quinn. Is my latest torture device!"

"Wha?"

"I'll explain later." He said as he walked up the stairs to his desk and supercomputer.

"Right now, we're having dinner. And from what I've seen of the food drops in Arkham City, you haven't had a hot meal in months." He said as he put a box of mac and cheese into a microwave.

Harley's head shot up with joy and she quickly ran up the steps to join him.

After a minute or so, the dinner was ready and Riddler placed it onto the nearby desk. They opened it up and dug in.

"You know, Mistah' J has some of these but he never lets me eat 'em."

"Really? Why is that?"

"I dunno. He says that it's too valuable to be wasted on me or something."

"Sounds like him."

They ate in silence for a few more moments until Harley glanced up at one of his blueprints.

"What's that?" She asked while using her fork to point at the plans for his third Riddle Room.

"Those are my plans for my test against The Dark Knight. You probably aren't brilliant enough to appreciate them."

"Yes I am!"

"I seriously doubt that." He jokingly dared.

"Try me!" She said while folding her arms and leaning back in her chair.

The following conversation was the most fun either of them had had in months.


End file.
